The Road Not Taken
by Elf Princess Bloom
Summary: A Hogwarts romance of the unusual kind, and no, it isn't slash, my apologies.


DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything here except the plot. Title taken from the poem by Robert Frost, which I have posted here for your reading enjoyment.  
  
**********  
  
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,  
  
And sorry I could not travel both  
  
And be one traveler, long I stood  
  
And looked down one as far as I could  
  
To where it bent in the undergrowth;  
  
Then took the other, as just as fair,  
  
And having perhaps the better claim,  
  
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;  
  
Though as for that the passing there  
  
Had worn them really about the same,  
  
And both that morning equally lay  
  
In leaves no step had trodden black.  
  
Oh, I kept the first for another day!  
  
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,  
  
I doubted if I should ever come back.  
  
I shall be telling this with a sigh  
  
Somewhere ages and ages hence:  
  
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—  
  
I took the one less traveled by,  
  
And that has made all the difference.  
  
~Robert Frost  
  
"Pansy! I said not now! Can't you see I'm busy? When I'm ready for you to entertain me, I'll call you."  
  
"Yes, Draco dear," the girl with the long brown hair and dark solemn eyes replied sweetly.  
  
She left the great hall in a hurry, knowing that no one would notice or, likewise, care. She cursed his name, vile obscenities she saved for occasions like these, when she was alone and angry. It was times like these that made her wonder why she was even with him.  
  
Oh yes, now I remember. He's Draco Malfoy. It's expected of me.  
  
She looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. I should be greatful to him. Who else would want me?  
  
Pansy Parkinson wasn't by any means ugly. But then, she didn't think she was very attractive, either. There was really nothing special about her at all. She knew this, and so did Draco, who held it over her head like it was the last piece of food in the world and she was a starving child. The fact was, they were only together for family's sake. They were perfect for each other, because they were bred for each other. No one else would be suitable for the young Malfoy heir.  
  
This was her life. At times like these, she wished she could have been born almost anyone else. The truth of it was, she didn't even like being in Slytherin. The sorting hat had wanted to place her in Ravenclaw, but she had begged and pleaded with it, because she knew it would keep her parents happy. The mean nasty front she put up around others was all an ugly act. She wished she didn't have to say those things.  
  
She could remember back when she was a little girl, going shopping with her mother. Once, a homeless woman had approached them, begging for food. It had brought tears to her eyes then, to see someone so hopeless. She had wanted to help her, but her mother pushed her away, all the while telling her something that was to this day still implanted in her brain, "Weakness is contagious. Helping those kind of people, who can't even help themselves, will only bring you down."  
  
She resisted the urge to punch something and sighed. This was her life, and she could do nothing to change it, so she might as well live it the best she could.  
  
______________________________________________________________________________  
  
"Longbottom, were you born utterly stupid and useless, or are you just trying to make me angry?"  
  
Neville cringed and glanced at the hourglass over near the window. Maybe another half an hour, he thought roughly, before potions was over. He sighed and looked to Hermione for help. She was busy muttering instructions to Ron when Snape wasn't looking.   
  
He wasn't going to panic. No, certainly not. This was a simple potion. Spider legs,cut up the arrowroot nice and fine, see, this wasn't so bad. He looked up to find Snape's beedy eyes on him and gulped, spilling half of the mixture in his cauldron all over Seamus's trousers.  
  
Both boys gave out terrified yelps as Seamus began scampering around the room, amid laughter from the Slytherins.  
  
Okay, Neville thought, so maybe tomorrow will be better.  
  
And it wasn't. But then he'd already known it wouldn't be.  
  
____________________________________________________________________________________  
  
That day after classes he decided to go for a walk. Sometimes he just needed to get away from everything and everyone.  
  
However, he found anything but peace and quiet as he got closer to the lake. Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson were sitting near the water's edge, Draco talking animatedly about something. Not wanting to bear the force of Slytherin cruelty, yet not able to help being nosy, he hid behind a tree nearby where he could hear everything.  
  
"Honestly, I don't know where they get off treating me like that! Do the imbecile's know who my father is?"  
  
"You're right darling, how completely stupid of them," Pansy replied soothingly, like she was supposed to, and laced her arm through his.  
  
He shrugged her off and glared, "I didn't say you could touch me. Sometimes I really wonder why I'm with you," and with that, he stalked off, leaving her alone.  
  
"Me too," she muttered, sitting down on the cold ground.  
  
Neville had no idea why he'd done what he did next. He'd still find himself marveling at it some years later, but he figured maybe it was something beyond his control, like fate taking hold of him.  
  
"Why do you put up with it?" He asked quietly, stepping out from behind the tree.  
  
She gasped and stood up quickly, giving him the deepest glare she could manage at a moment's notice, "What are you talking about, Longbottom?"  
  
"The way he treats you, and you just stand there and take it, do nothing. Why?"  
  
"It's not like I have a choice. Besides, I don't see where it's any of your business," she snarled.  
  
He shrugged, undaunted by her words, "I just think you underestimate yourself. You're too pretty to be stuck with a spoiled rich git like Malfoy."  
  
He too, walked away, after giving her a small, friendly smile.  
  
And she stood there, mouth hanging open in amazement.  
  
***************  
  
More to come later on. Until then, reviews and criticism will be much appreciated, thank you. 


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